Wool-washer.



No. 687,073. Patented Nov. I9, 190|.

- C. E; T. SCRIBNER.'

wooL WASHER.

(Application med 1m. 11, 1901.) (no Model.) 2 sheets-Sheet to l *a fm""@i n' M gf No. 687,073. .Patented Nov. I9, |901'.

' CQE. T; SCBIBNER.

v WDUI. WASHER.

(Application med mr. 11, 1901.) (llo Model.) 2 Sheets- Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES EDWIN T. SCRIBNER, OE NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS, As- SIGNOR ToJAMES HUNTER MACHINE COMPANY, OE NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS, ACORPORATION OE MASSACHUSETTS.

WOOL-WASH ER.

SPECIFCATION forming part of LettersPatent N o. 687,073, dated November19, 1901. Application iiled March l1. 1901. Serial No. 50,585. (Nomodel.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES EDWIN T. SCRIBNER, a citizen of the UnitedStates,`-re siding at North Adams, Vin the county of Berkshire, State ofMassachusetts, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inWool-Washers, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention has reference more especially to the means for supportingand operating the rake or harrow by means of which the wool is caused totravel from the feeding end of the bowl of a wool-washer to thedischarging end of the said bowl.

The invention consists in the improved combination of devices, which Iwill now proceed to describe with the aid of the accompanying drawings,in which latter are illustrated two embodiments of the invention. l Y

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view on the order of a diagram, showingportion of a woolwasher with. one embodiment of the invention appliedthereto. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the partsat the left-hand end of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa View on the order of atransverse section looking from the right-hand side in Fig. 2. Fig. 3ais a detail View looking from the right-hand side in Fig. 3. Fig. 4. isa detail View in elevation, showing the end portion of onev ofthecrossrods and the parts which are connected therewith. Fig. 5 is asectional detail View, the plane of section being indicated by thedotted line 5 5 in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of a wool-washerhaving applied thereto a second embodiment of the invention.

v Having reference to the drawings, and more,

especially to Figs. -1 to 5 thereof, 1 designates the bowl or tank of awool-washer. 2 is the rake or barrow working in the said bowl or tank.3, Fig. 1, is the rotary ducker that is represented in Figs. 2 and 3.The ends of the said cross-rods project laterally beyond the sides ofthe bowl.' The said ends are tted to eyes in the upper ends of side armsor links 5, each cross-rod being thus connected with a pair of thesaidside arms or links. The number of cross-,rods and pairs of side armsorlinks employed in practice will vary with the length of the bowl andrake or harrow. Fig. 1 shows -a rather long machine, in which threecross-rods and pairs of side arms or links are employed. In the case ofa shorter machine only two cross-rods and pairs of side arms or linkswould be required. Eachside arm or link 5 is pivoted at its lower end tothe horizontal arm 6 of a lever which is mounted pivotally upon a Stud7, projecting from the exterior of the bowl. Each of the said levers hasan upwardly-extending arm 61, and the arms 61 of all the levers on eachside of the bowl are connected together by a rod or rods 8, so as tocompel all of the levers to move in unison.

The weight of the rake or harrow is more or less completelycounterbalanced by means of weights 9, applied to arms 62, with which'the levers of one or more pairs of the side arms or links 5 areprovided, the said arms 62 projecting oppositely with respect to thearms 6 of the said levers. I

I provide as follows for the actuation of the rake orl harrow and forcausing it to move through the predetermined path in its working: At 10is a stud projecting from the eX- terior of the bowl or tank, adjacentto one end of the latter. 11 designates a gear-wheel mounted to rotateon the said stud, and 12 is a cam at the side of the gear 11, fixedlyconnected with the latter and rotating in unison therewith. The actingface of the said cam engages with the roller 13, mounted on a studcarried by the arm 63 of the adjacent lever, arm 63 projectingoppositely with reference to arm 6 of the said lever. A crank-pin 14,carried by the gear l1, is connected by arod 15 with the adjacent sidearm or link 5. The rake supporting and actuating arrangements areduplicated at the opposite sides of the bowl, there being at each sideof the bowl a series of side arms or links and their levers, a rod orrods connecting said levers together, one or more counterbalances, acam, a gear with its crank-pin, and a rod connecting said crank-pin withthe adjacent side arm or link. For the purpose ot causing the gear andcam at one side of the bowl to rotate in unison with the gear and cam atthe other side thereof a cross-shaft 151 is provided, it carryingpinions 16, meshing with the respective gears. This cross-shaft maybeemployed as a drivingshaft for the said gears and cams, if desired; or,if preferred, other driv ing means may be employed. The crankpins 14transmit to the rake orharrow through the rods 15 movement in thedirection of the length of the bowl, while the cams 12 act through thelever arrangements described to control the position ot' the rake orharrow vertically as it travels. The cams may be shaped to coperate withthe cranks in causing the rake or harrow to follow any desiredpredetermined path of movement. Preferably the said path isapproximately as indicated by the dotted-line diagram in Fig. 2. In thecase of the illustrated mechanism the rake or harrow is caused toadvance horizontally while its tines are immersed in the contents of thebowl, then rise nearly vertically 'to the rrake or harrow.

at the extreme of its advancing movement, then return along asubstantially horizontal slightly-curved course, and then descend in anearly vertical curved course.

In some cases the cross-rods 4 may be provided with rolls 17 adjacentthe ends of such rods to rest and move during the advance of the rake orharrow upon the upper surfaces of the sides of the bowl, or, what :isbetter, upon short sections of tracks 18, secured to the said sides. Byforming these sections with vertical slots 181 181 for the bolts 19 19,which secure the same to the sides of the bowl, the said sections may beadjusted vertically to locate their upper surfaces at the requiredheight. The rolls 17 are also mounted upon the cross-rods 4, withcapacity for vertical adjustment relative to the said crossrods. Thuseach roll 17 Vrevolves upon the exterior of an eccentric bushing 20,mounted upon the cross-rod 4 and made fast thereon in the requiredposition by means of a suitable securing device, herein constituted by aclamping-screw 21. By loosening the screw 21, turning the bushing aroundthe axis of the cross-rod to the required extent,and again tightening upthe clamping-screw the bushing may be set to give the roll 17 therequired vertical adjustment or shift relative to the cross-rod 4.

For the purpose of enabling the rake or harrow to be adjusted verticallyupon the cross-rods 4 each cross-rod has fitted thereto hangers orbrackets 211, which are attached These hangers are formed withvertically-clon gated eyes or loops 22, through which the cross-rodspass. Adjusting-screws 23 are applied to the upper poreer/,ove

tions ot the said eyes or loops, their lower ends resting upon thecross-rods. By turning the said screws in or out more or less therequired adjustment of the rake or harrow relative to the cross-rods iseffected.

As will be apparent, the vertical components of the movement of the rakeor harrow are derived from the cam 12, while the horizontal componentsof the said movement are derived from the crank 14. The burden ofsustaining the rake or harrow and imparting vertical movements theretodevolves wholly upon the cam, and the crank is relieved therefrom. Theconnections are vdirect and simple, and the possibilities of wear areminimized.

Fig. 6 shows a modified embodiment of the invention, in which thepivoted side arms or links 5 of Figs. 1, 2, and 3 are replaced by sidebars 5, mounted to slide vertically through guides at 5b, applied to theside of the bowl. Collars 5, attached to the lower ends of the said sidebars 5, are connected by links 5d with the arms 6 of the cam-operatedlevers. Flexible connections 5e, connected directly or indirectly withthe said collars 5, or otherwise connected with the side bars, extendover pulleys or sheaves 5f, mounted on studs 5g, projecting outwardlyfrom the sides of the bowl. These flexible connections are joined to thebar 5h, carrying the weights 51, designed to more or less completelycounterbalance the weight of the rake or harrow and said side bars. Theupper ends of the side bars 5a are in sliding connection with the rakeor harrow, so as to provide for horizontal movement of the rake orharrow relative to the side bars. In the present case a slotted guide 5on the upper end of each side bar is arranged to receive a roll 5carried by each cross-rod 4, as shown in Fig. 6. 'In this embodiment ofthe invention the use of xed tracks on the sides of the bowl for thesupport of the rake or harrow during its horizontal advancing movement,as in Figs. 1 to 5, is dispensed with, and the support of the IOO IIO

rake or harrow throughout its entire traverse is furnished by the cams.

I claim as my invention-M 1. In a wool-washer, in combination, the bowl,the rake or harrow, the side arms with the upper ends of which the rakeor harrow is connected pivotally, the levers with which the lower endsof the said side arms are connected pivotally, the rod or rodsconnecting said levers to move in unison, the connecting-rod pivoted toone of said side arms at an intermediate point, the rotating cam actingupon one of the said levers, and the crank rotating in unison with thesaid cam upon the same axis, substantially as described.

2. In a wool-Washer, in combination, the bowl, the rake or harrow, theside arms with which the rake or harrow is connected pivotally, thelever system with which the said side arms are connected, the rotatingcam coacting with one of the said levers, the crank opn IZO erativelyconnected with the said rake or harrow to produce longitudinal movementthereof, fixed tracks, and verticallyadj ustable rollers carried by thesaid rake or harrow for contact with said lixed tracks, substantially asdescribed.

3. In a wool-washer, in combination, the bowl, xed tracks at the sidethereof, the rake or harrow, the cross-rods connected therewith, theeccentric bushings applied to the said cross-rods, the rollers mountedon the said eccentric bushings for coperation with said tracks, andmeans connected with vsaid cross-rods for occasioning the movements ofthe rake or harrow vertically and longitudinally with reference to thebowl, substantially as described.

4. In a wool-washer, in combination, the

Zontal components of the movement of the rake or harrow, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature 3o in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES EDWIN T. SCRIBNER.

Witnesses:

H. E. WETHERBEE, W. H. McNEILLY.

